More rain is on the way for Australia after one of the wettest starts to the year on record for the east coast.
The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed on Wednesday that a negative Indian Ocean dipole event is underway, increasing rain and wind in the country during the winter and spring.
Wild weather has already set in, with five states in line to be hit by rain and damaging winds from one of the most powerful cold fronts to hit the nation this winter.
WA was hit with the extreme weather event earlier this week before moving into South Australia and Victoria. NSW and Tasmania are next in line for the weekend.
Roofs were ripped from houses in Perth as bad weather cut power to parts of Perth Airport, pushing back check-ins, flights and delaying flight schedules flights from the city, after a high voltage transmission pole was damaged.
The unprecedented rainfall and record flooding that has ravaged Australia’s east coast this year could be here to stay, with new research revealing that climate change has loaded our atmosphere with more moisture. Pictured: Sydneysiders brave the rain
In WA, destructive winds wreaked havoc with downed trees and downed fences. At one point there were about 35,000 people without power in WA, but that number is understood to have dropped to about 10,000.
The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed on Wednesday that a negative Indian Ocean dipole event is underway, increasing rain and wind in the country during the winter and spring.
In NSW, a severe weather warning has been issued for the south-east of the state, with a cold front forecast to bring heavy rain and damaging winds.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned of flash flooding in the Illawarra, Southern Tablelands, Hunter, South Coast, Central Tablelands, North West Slopes and Plains, Central West Slopes and Plains, South West Slopes, Snowy Mountains and Riverina.
“Wednesday saw wind gusts of up to 128 km/ha in alpine areas and up to 90 km/ha in the Melbourne metropolitan area,” Bureau Meteorologist Dean Narramore said.
“Thursday this cold front will take advantage of tropical moisture and this will bring heavy rain to large parts of NSW and north-east Victoria on Thursday morning and especially Thursday afternoon.”
“This will continue into Thursday evening before breaking free, while there will be lighter rainfall across southern Queensland on Friday as it moves north.”
“The rain could lead to light to moderate flooding with isolated falls of up to 150mm in some areas.”
Snowy mountains and south-west slopes could face a six-hour rainfall total of between 45mm and 60mm on Thursday, with localized falls of up to 100mm possible.
Meanwhile, Thredbo Snowfield has closed its ski lifts due to the threat of the storm.
“The safety of our team and guests is paramount,” Thredbo said in a statement.
“Due to extreme weather forecasts for heavy rain and strong winds, we have made the decision not to operate any lifts today.”
The Bureau of Meteorology said the top station at Thredbo was already recording wind gusts in excess of 90km/h at around 11.30pm on Wednesday as storms develop across the region.
Thredbo is expected to receive between 120mm and 200mm of rain on Thursday as wild weather hits the region.
Wind gusts could reach a maximum of around 90 km/ha over the ranges to the west of the ACT, as well as east of the Great Dividing Range from Bombala to south of Crookwell, extending to north to the Blue Mountains.
The cold front extends from the Southern Ocean and moves east across the lower half of Australia (pictured)
Emergency crews across the state responded to more than 300 calls on Tuesday as several homes in Port Kendi and Joondalup, north of Perth, sustained extensive damage.
“Saturated soils in the Central Highlands and Illawarra increase the risk of strong winds bringing down trees and power lines,” the BOM said.
A flood watch is in place for areas including Braidwood, Goulburn, Bombala, Tumbarumba, Tumut, Khancoban and Thredbo Top Station.
NSW SES Superintendent Barry Griffiths said Wagga Wagga volunteers were preparing for river flooding on the Murrumbidgee River around Tumut and Gundagai.
“We have mobilized two high security vehicles, one fixed wing and have been engaged with local government agencies in the affected areas since Monday,” he told the Nine Network on Thursday.
There are a number of high wind warnings for the northern part of Tasmania, as well as several minor flood warnings for the state.
Thousands of Victorian homes and businesses were left without power yesterday after winds knocked out power lines.
AusNet Services reported the most unplanned outages on Wednesday morning, with more than 15,000 by around 9am. Outages were significant in Melbourne’s east and in the far south-east of the state.
By 11 a.m., the number of properties without power had only slightly decreased to almost 12,900.
Victoria’s State Emergency Service received 254 calls for help in the 12 hours to 8.20am on Wednesday, with 214 for downed trees.
The Bureau of Meteorology is warning another cold front will approach the state on Wednesday afternoon, with more damaging winds expected in the south-west.
Victoria State Emergency Service chief operating officer Tim Wiebusch advised people to be prepared.
“Make sure you heed the advice of emergency services and secure loose items in and around your home, park your vehicle under cover, away from trees and stay indoors until the bad weather has passed,” he said. Wiebusch said.
“As we expect heavy rain in parts of Victoria, it is important that you never drive through flood water.
Sydney’s rainfall total broke a 132-year record last month, reaching 1500mm faster than ever before. Pictured: Rescue volunteers patrol floodwaters in Windsor, near Sydney
In Queensland, Brisbane will receive some rain and wind over the weekend, but the north of the state will avoid most of the rain.
Although the cold front that caused the damage this week is not directly related to the negative Indian Ocean dipole, the weather event that causes the east wind to blow over the country is helping to advance the front cold
The negative IOD could also increase the chance of another La Nina event being declared.
Last summer’s La Nina was only declared over in June, the IOD increasing the chances of another La Nina developing, which would be the third summer in a row for Australia.
WEEKEND WEATHER IN YOUR CITY
Sydney:
Thursday: Min 16C, Max 22C. Winds of 25 to 40 km/ha in the afternoon and evening. Possible precipitation of 2 to 4 mm.
Friday: min 15C, Max 22C. Winds of 15 to 25 km/h in the morning.
Saturday: Minimum 10C, Maximum 20C. Winds of 15 to 20 km/h during the day.
Sunday: Cloudy Min 9C, Max 18C.
BRISBANE:
Thursday: Min 12C, Max 24C. Winds of 15 to 25 km/h during the day
Friday: Min 14C, Max 27C. Chance of morning fog
Saturday: Min 15C, Max 23C. Average chance of showers from 0 to 5 mm of rain.
Sunday: Sunny Min 11C, Max 22C.
ADELAIDE:
Thursday: Minimum 10C, Maximum 17C. Winds of 35 to 50 km/h. Showers of 4 to 8 mm of rain.
Friday: Min 9C, Max 14C. Winds from 25 to 45 km/h. Showers of 6 to 15 mm of rain.
Saturday: Min 8C, Max 13C. Winds of 25 to 35 km/h. Showers of 2 to 6 mm of rain.
Sunday: Showers Min 8C, Max 15C.
CANBERRA:
Thursday: Minimum 10C, Maximum 17C. Winds of 25 to 40 km/h. Chance of a storm of 50 to 70 mm of rain.
Friday: Min 6C, Max 16C. Winds of 20 to 30 km/h. Showers of 2 to 5 mm of rain.
Saturday: Min 3C, Max 13C. Winds of 15 to 20 km/h. A shower or two of 0 to 1 mm of rain.
Sunday: Possible showers Min 2C, Max 13C.
MELBOURNE:
Thursday: Min 12C, Max 19C. Winds from 15 to 25 km/h. Showers more likely in the morning and in the afternoon from 0 to 2 mm of rain.
Friday: Minimum 10C, Maximum 17C. Winds of 25 to 35 km/h. High probability of showers of 1 to 4 mm of rain.
Saturday: Min 8, Max 15C. Wind from 15 to 25 km/h. High probability of showers of 2 to 5 mm of rain.
Sunday: Showers Min 8C, Max 13C.
PERTH:
Thursday: Minimum 10C, Maximum 17C. Winds from 25 to 50 km/h. Showers of 3 to 6 mm of rain.
Friday: Min 7C, Max 17C. Light winds slight chance of showers 0 – 0.4 mm of rain.
Saturday: Min 8C, Max 18C. Winds of 15 to 20 km/h. Showers of 1 to 4 mm of rain.
Sunday: Showers Min 10C, Max 19C.
HOBART:
Thursday: Min 8C, Max 16C. Winds from 15 to 40 km/h. Rain or two from 0 to 2 mm of rain.
Friday: Minimum 7C, Maximum 15C. Winds of 15 to 20 km/h. Showers of 1 to 4 mm of rain.
Saturday: Min 7C, Max 12C. Winds of 15 to 20 km/h. Showers of 2 to 8 mm of rain.
Sunday: Showers Min 5C, Max 11C.
DARWIN:
Thursday: Min 21C, Max 31C. Winds of 15 to 20 km/h. Partly cloudy.
Friday: Min 21C, Max 31C. Winds of 15 to 20 km/h. Mostly sunny.
Saturday: Min 21C, Max 32C. Winds from 15 to 25 km/h. sunny
Sunday: Sunny Min 22C, Max 33C.
Source: Office of Meteorology